diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/runtime/LangExecutionUtil.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/runtime/LangExecutionUtil.java
index ec8333a..be84bc3 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/runtime/LangExecutionUtil.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/runtime/LangExecutionUtil.java
@@ -41,13 +41,10 @@
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.io.IODeviceHandle;
 import org.apache.hyracks.control.common.utils.ThreadDumpHelper;
 import org.apache.hyracks.control.nc.NodeControllerService;
-import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
-import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
 
 /**
  * Utils for running SQL++ or AQL runtime tests.
  */
-@RunWith(Parameterized.class)
 public class LangExecutionUtil {
 
     private static final String PATH_ACTUAL = "target" + File.separator + "rttest" + File.separator;
diff --git a/asterixdb/pom.xml b/asterixdb/pom.xml
index cc06150..b708187 100644
--- a/asterixdb/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/pom.xml
@@ -43,21 +43,20 @@
 
   <properties>
     <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+    <file.encoding>UTF-8</file.encoding>
     <jvm.extraargs />
     <jdk.version>1.8</jdk.version>
     <runSlowAQLTests>false</runSlowAQLTests>
     <appendedResourcesDirectory>${basedir}/src/main/appended-resources</appendedResourcesDirectory>
     <sonar.jacoco.reportPath>${env.PWD}/target/jacoco-merged.exec</sonar.jacoco.reportPath>
     <debug.suspend.flag>n</debug.suspend.flag>
+    <skip.surefire.tests>${skipTests}</skip.surefire.tests>
 
     <!-- Definition of tests in various categories which may be excluded -->
-    <optimizer.tests>**/optimizer/**/*Test.java</optimizer.tests>
-    <metadata.tests>**/metadata/*Test.java</metadata.tests>
-    <execution.tests>**/ExecutionTest.java</execution.tests>
     <repeated.tests>**/RepeatedTest.java</repeated.tests>
     <invalid.tests>**/DmlTest.java</invalid.tests>
-    <global.test.includes>**/*TestSuite.java,**/*Test.java,${execution.tests}</global.test.includes>
-    <global.test.excludes>${optimizer.tests},${metadata.tests},${invalid.tests},${repeated.tests}</global.test.excludes>
+    <global.test.includes>**/*TestSuite.java,**/*Test.java</global.test.includes>
+    <global.test.excludes>${invalid.tests},${repeated.tests}</global.test.excludes>
 
     <failsafe.test.excludes>**/DmlRecoveryIT.java</failsafe.test.excludes>
     <cluster.test.excludes>**/AsterixClusterLifeCycleIT.java</cluster.test.excludes>
@@ -107,6 +106,7 @@
           <excludes>
             <exclude>${global.test.excludes},${test.excludes}</exclude>
           </excludes>
+          <skipTests>${skip.surefire.tests}</skipTests>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
@@ -443,24 +443,6 @@
       </properties>
     </profile>
     <profile>
-      <id>optimizer-tests</id>
-      <properties>
-        <optimizer.tests />
-      </properties>
-    </profile>
-    <profile>
-      <id>metadata-tests</id>
-      <properties>
-        <metadata.tests />
-      </properties>
-    </profile>
-    <profile>
-      <id>execution-tests</id>
-      <properties>
-        <execution.tests />
-      </properties>
-    </profile>
-    <profile>
       <id>invalid-tests</id>
       <properties>
         <invalid.tests />
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml b/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
index b6d482e..08aae02 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
@@ -51,10 +51,12 @@
 
   <properties>
     <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+    <file.encoding>UTF-8</file.encoding>
     <jdk.version>1.8</jdk.version>
     <jvm.extraargs />
     <sonar.jacoco.reportPath>${env.PWD}/target/jacoco-merged.exec</sonar.jacoco.reportPath>
     <source-format.skip>false</source-format.skip>
+    <skip.surefire.tests>${skipTests}</skip.surefire.tests>
 
     <!-- Definition of tests in various categories which may be excluded -->
     <hanging.pregelix.tests>**/pregelix/**/FailureRecovery*.java</hanging.pregelix.tests>
@@ -256,6 +258,7 @@
           <excludes combine.children="append">
             <exclude>${global.test.excludes},${test.excludes}</exclude>
           </excludes>
+          <skipTests>${skip.surefire.tests}</skipTests>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>